Nicolas Pepe: The Nutmeg Express!

[Trilly]

Thread title still a disgrace.

 

[gamechannel]

Surely must start today..

 

[scytheavatar]

Actually, I totally agree that he was a mixed bag last year. Even his biggest fans would have to admit it was inconsistent in both output and "effort" he drifted in and out of games.

Despite that though, his PL G/A has only been bettered by Willian in two of his Chelsea seasons. That, despite it being Pepe's first season in the league and the country. With Pepe 25 and Willian 32yo it's clear who has more upside.

You are right that none of this is Willian's problem nor is it Pepe's fault he cost 72m. But I'm surprised Willian got the gig to start ahead of Pepe because I don't think it's in the teams best interests going forward and I'm even more surprised people are lining up to slate him after a couple of cameos. Two during games in which we were pretty insipid.

My point on Willian though, is that I was sceptical on the deal at the time, and if he's going to come in and take minutes from Pepe and Nelson rather than play in an 8 or 10 then I think it's a backwards step.

The only way I see it clicking for Pepe is by playing himself into for out on the middle. I don't think he's going to have an epiphany moment. He gradually improved last season, and with more time playing with HB I'd expect him to keep gradually improving. The last step change will be with a change in system and someone like DC in at RCM to play him through.

Some more gradual improvement and you'll have a 10g/10a playing from the wing all of a sudden.

For what we are paying for him "gradual improvements" isn't enough. Pepe needs to be a Sanchez level winger by the end of this season or we absolutely need to consider selling him. We are not a sugar daddied club and we have no rights to complain about other clubs being financially doped when we are doing a terrible job with the money we do have. You say that signing Willian is a step backwards, but that implies signing Pepe was a step forward. Yet I am not sure Pepe has proven himself to be that big of an upgrade from Mkhi or Iwobi.

Selling Pepe will certainly be at a lost, but getting 30-40 million back from him is better than nothing.

 

[Macho]

For what we are paying for him "gradual improvements" isn't enough. Pepe needs to be a Sanchez level winger by the end of this season or we absolutely need to consider selling him. We are not a sugar daddied club and we have no rights to complain about other clubs being financially doped when we are doing a terrible job with the money we do have. You say that signing Willian is a step backwards, but that implies signing Pepe was a step forward. Yet I am not sure Pepe has proven himself to be that big of an upgrade from Mkhi or Iwobi.

Selling Pepe will certainly be at a lost, but getting 30-40 million back from him is better than nothing.

I've never read you say a good thing about this club ever lol. What makes you watch us? if you do watch us.

Pepe is increasingly looking like a dud anyways, but I blame current/previous management and scouting more than the player himself.

 

[GunnerShy]

For what we are paying for him "gradual improvements" isn't enough. Pepe needs to be a Sanchez level winger by the end of this season or we absolutely need to consider selling him. We are not a sugar daddied club and we have no rights to complain about other clubs being financially doped when we are doing a terrible job with the money we do have. You say that signing Willian is a step backwards, but that implies signing Pepe was a step forward. Yet I am not sure Pepe has proven himself to be that big of an upgrade from Mkhi or Iwobi.

Selling Pepe will certainly be at a lost, but getting 30-40 million back from him is better than nothing.

You wouldn't get a 25 year old Alexis Sanchez for €72m in last year's market so the argument he needs to be Alexis Sanchez or we sell him doesn't hold up.

More the point I think we accept he probably isn't a €72m player and we over paid for favourable terms. So maybe he's supposed to be a €60m player. 20 G/A a season is probably not far off the mark which is what I clearly meant by gradual improvement. In any case, if we are going to favour Willian over him you'll be lucky to shift him next season for €30m.

I'm not his agent and I'm not his biggest fan either. As a fan though I strongly believe if you as a club make an major investment in a player it's reckless not to give them every opportunity to succeed. He was underwhelming but hardly a flop last season, bringing in Willian and sticking him in front of him (rightly?? I'm not convinced) is bad management and bad business.

 

[dka1]

He was underwhelming but hardly a flop last season, bringing in Willian and sticking him in front of him (rightly?? I'm not convinced) is bad management and bad business.

Bingo.

We are only a few games in but I am not feeling Willian starting ahead of Pepe in the slightest, he's not even been good enough to justify this too.

Hopefully Pepe does something to force himself back into the team.

 

[tap-in]

Thread title still a disgrace.

Not showing much source lately, had to change it!

 

[scytheavatar]

You wouldn't get a 25 year old Alexis Sanchez for €72m in last year's market so the argument he needs to be Alexis Sanchez or we sell him doesn't hold up.

More the point I think we accept he probably isn't a €72m player and we over paid for favourable terms. So maybe he's supposed to be a €60m player. 20 G/A a season is probably not far off the mark which is what I clearly meant by gradual improvement. In any case, if we are going to favour Willian over him you'll be lucky to shift him next season for €30m.

I'm not his agent and I'm not his biggest fan either. As a fan though I strongly believe if you as a club make an major investment in a player it's reckless not to give them every opportunity to succeed. He was underwhelming but hardly a flop last season, bringing in Willian and sticking him in front of him (rightly?? I'm not convinced) is bad management and bad business.

We are not in a luxury of sacrificing the club for Pepe......... we absolutely have to finish top 4 this season and the margin for error to do that is going to be thin. Pepe is not some 19 year old talent, he is 25 years old and should be carrying the club, not the other way round. If playing Willian increases our chances of finishing top 4 over playing Pepe then you would be foolish to play Pepe.

 

[scytheavatar]

I've never read you say a good thing about this club ever lol. What makes you watch us? if you do watch us.

Pepe is increasingly looking like a dud anyways, but I blame current/previous management and scouting more than the player himself.

When you pay big money for a player, you must have certain expectations for the player. He is supposed to be the ace of the club, to be the RVP/Henry/Cesc/Sanchez of the club. If Pepe can't be at that level then why the freak did we pay that much money for him?

 

[Macho]

When you pay big money for a player, you must have certain expectations for the player. He is supposed to be the ace of the club, to be the RVP/Henry/Cesc/Sanchez of the club. If Pepe can't be at that level then why the freak did we pay that much money for him?

Yeah you didn’t answer my question lol but nevermind.

The people who signed Pepe are all gone/fired and Arteta has dropped him, so there’s your answer anyways.

He’s not Henry Rvp or Sanchez so you’re going to have to find a way to deal with that

 

[GunnerShy]

We are not in a luxury of sacrificing the club for Pepe......... we absolutely have to finish top 4 this season and the margin for error to do that is going to be thin. Pepe is not some 19 year old talent, he is 25 years old and should be carrying the club, not the other way round. If playing Willian increases our chances of finishing top 4 over playing Pepe then you would be foolish to play Pepe.

Agree. But that's massive hyperbole. What you call sacrificing the club I call playing the better footballer with more upside. Who happens to be our record signing, who by your admission we need to work out this season if he's a keep or cut and run.

 

[Anders Harbo]

Lille really ****ed us over with that transfer

 

[FinnGooner]

Oh lawd did we drop the ball on this one. How the **** did we pay £72m for a footballer this raw and limited . We just have to hope Arteta can get him to perform even somewhat decently so we can recoup some of the money next summer or summer after that. Our recruitment is truly abysmal

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

Great penalty. Otherwise looking like that GIF of a horse falling over a ball.

 

[Maybe]

How the **** did we pay £72m for a footballer this raw and limited

I can get that his not performing and Arteta is really making things harder for him, but for anyone to say the guy is limited or raw is just dumb, sorry

 

[Pop Tart]

Cannot go past players, no real passing skill. One of the most awkward players I have seen

 

[FinnGooner]

I can get that his not performing and Arteta is really making things harder for him, but for anyone to say the guy is limited or raw is just dumb, sorry

100% one footed is not limited? And him struggling to get decent shots off in tight spaces due to lack of composure seems raw. He looks like a street baller ffs.

 

[EduardoWeLoveYou]

Everybody is starting to realise how bad we have been robbed. He plays like youth player breaking into the first team. No composure and constantly making the wrong decision.

That £72M will never again be seen. I’d sell him for less than half of that if we can get rid.

 

[14Henry]

He never looks in control of the ball and often loses it so you would have to say that his control especially when running is poor.

I havent seen anything that he offers that Nelson or Saka dont offer. Hes all arms and legs and when matched up 1 v 1 he never ever beats a player or goes by them.

I actually was saying I would like to see him on the left to see if maybe he could move on the outside instead of always looking in but he clearly cant.

Terrible waste of money and right now it looks that 72m could be the difference between moving up and standing still.

Emery had many faults but at least he can tell a good winger from a bad one.

 

[KrissKringle]

Emery had many faults but at least he can tell a good winger from a bad one.

It's not rocket science to realize Wilf is better than this donkey.